Muromachi era · earthy · austere · refined

Scorched Brown & Unbleached 焦茶と生成

The dark brown of scorched wood against unbleached hemp — quiet materials.

焦茶

Kogecha

#3E2A1E

Scorched brown

生成

Kinari

#F3EBDA

Unbleached cream

柿渋

Kakishibu

#8A6A47

Persimmon-tanned

About this combination

Kogecha is the near-black brown of cedar scorched for weatherproofing (yakisugi). Kinari is the pale warm cream of undyed hemp. Together they compose the traditional Japanese farmhouse: dark timber posts, pale paper walls.

Where it works

  • Architecture and interior design
  • Natural materials brands
  • Restaurants with rustic positioning

Historical context

This palette is inspired by the tradition of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, which cataloged combinations drawn from centuries of Japanese cultural life. The specific colors here use traditional shikisai names that have been in the public domain for generations.

From the archive

The Complete Wada Bundle All 348 historical combinations, five formats, one download.

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